‘Healthy Legs Classes’ held in Newry and Mourne

A new service to help improve leg health for patients who experience swelling due to circulatory problems or obesity, is now available on a pilot basis to people across the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area.
Patients referred by their GP will be clinically assessed before beginning the four week group based education and exercise programme which is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland.

Lynne Whiteside, Physiotherapy Clinical Lead for the Southern Trust explained, “Each year in the Trust, we treat around 6,700 people with leg ulcers due to the build-up of fluid or poor circulation known as oedema.

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“Oedema is often the result of an underlying medical condition, it can cause extreme discomfort, swelling and if not treated properly can lead to infections or painful ulcers which require antibiotic treatments, dressings, district nursing support and sometimes even hospital admission.
“By offering patients the chance to learn more about promoting good leg health through exercise, diet and long term lifestyle changes, we hope that they will be able to self-manage their condition, reducing the risks of secondary problems and overall giving them a better quality of life,” she added.

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The team secured funding for the ‘Healthy Legs Classes’ by winning a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition encouraging staff to develop innovative quality improvement projects.
Congratulating the team on their new service Angela McVeigh, Director of Older People and Primary Care for the Southern Trust said, “Continuous improvement of our services and the quality of care received by our patients and clients is a real priority throughout our organisation.

“By focusing on early intervention and prevention, our physiotherapy team are equipping this group of patients with the knowledge and skills to avoid complications from their condition.
Angela added, “Not only does this lead to a better use of resources across the service, but more importantly it gives a significant number of patients much better outcomes in terms of their physical health but also overall emotional and social wellbeing.”

Some comments from patients who have attended the classes include: “I have more confidence now I know about my condition and how to help the symptoms” and “I was feeling depressed from the leg swelling, it has been a positive thing to come to class.”
And: “I have got great results from attending the sessions, I am now able to wear boots that hadn’t fitted me in five years and I am walking faster and further than I have in a long time.”

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